Belichick's Best (And Worst) Draft Picks Of The 1st Round
BOSTON (CBS) – After resigning as HC of the NYJ in January 2000, head coach Bill Belichick was quickly hired by the New England Patriots and given near-complete control over the team's football operations by owner Robert Kraft.
Belichick is the longest-tenured NFL head coach, and entering his sixteenth season at the helm of the four-time Super Bowl winning Patriots, he's about to make his stamp on yet another NFL Draft.
Over the past week 98.5 The Sports Hub's Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand have been digging deep into the Patriots draft history, ranking the best players Belichick has chosen in a given round.
On Thursday afternoon, Zo and Beetle tackled Round 1 after ranking Round 2. Belichick has drafted 14 Patriots in the first round of the NFL Draft, and owns the 32nd overall pick in this upcoming draft. New England has had some notable hits and some draft disappointments in Round 1.
(Note: Keep in mind these are Patriots players that Belichick himself has drafted and does not include picks made before the year 2000)
Here's what they came up with:
Zolak Ranks Belichick's Round 1 Draft Picks
1. Richard Seymour (2001)
2. Vince Wilfork (2004)
3. Logan Mankins (2005)
4. Jerod Mayo (2008)
5. Ty Warren (2003)
6. Devin McCourty (2010)
7. Dont'a Hightower (2012)
8. Nate Solder (2011)
9. Chandler Jones (2012)
10. Ben Watson (2004)
11. Brandon Meriweather (2007)
12. Laurence Maroney (2006)
13. Daniel Graham (2002)
(Note: Zolak did not rank Dominique Easley due to insufficient evidence)
Bertrand Ranks Belichick's Round 1 Draft Picks
1. Richard Seymour (2001)
2. Vince Wilfork (2004)
3. Logan Mankins (2005)
4. Jerod Mayo (2008)
5. Devin McCourty (2010)
6. Ty Warren (2003)
7. Nate Solder (2011)
8. Dont'a Hightower (2012)
9. Chandler Jones (2012)
10. Brandon Meriweather (2007)
11. Ben Watson (2004)
12. Daniel Graham (2002)
13. Dominique Easley (2014)
14. Laurence Maroney (2006)
Listen below to hear their explanations:
Do you agree with their rankings? Sound off in the comments section below, or tweet your rebuttals to @ScottZolak, @Marc_Bertrand, @ZoandBertrand or @JimLouth!
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